In the end, Annie didn't manage to escape.
Because...
It seemed she hadn't even thought about running away!
After Ying had grabbed Paimon, called out to her, and made a split-second decision to turn and sprint toward the streets of Liyue Harbor while the Qianyan Army were held back by the panicked crowd, Annie had simply stood still, as if nothing had happened.
And sure enough, before long, once the situation at the ceremony had gradually been brought under control, a group of Qianyan Army soldiers armed with swords, spears, and other weapons surrounded her.
By then, Ying and Paimon had vanished without a trace. Who knew where they'd run off to?
"..."
"..."
"..."
The Qianyan Army officers slowly closed in and stopped a few meters away, more or less blocking all her escape routes. Their expressions were tense as they fixed her with stern glares.
It was obvious that most of them had seen her using magic while fooling around with Paimon. So even though she was just a little girl, and even though the Qianyan Army outnumbered her, none of them dared let their guard down.
Still, they made no move to seize her right away. They silently surrounded her, neither stepping forward to arrest her nor letting her leave.
"??"
(*°▽°*)
"Uncles, what are you doing?"
Annie glanced at the group of uncles surrounding her, all armed with various weapons, then looked at the ceremony grounds, which had been completely sealed off. Many of the spectators who'd come to watch were also being prevented from leaving, just like her. Only then did she ask, sounding a little bored.
"I wanna go home!"
╰(￣▽￣)╭
She'd seen all the sights and excitement she wanted to see, met her friends, and even seen that dead dragon. So unless something